One state Supreme Court justice and 81 Court of Appeals and Superior Court judges are up for retention votes in the Nov. 3 election, when voters will decide whether they can remain on the bench.
A majority vote of the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review found they had all met the performance standards for remaining on the bench. The voter-approved commission evaluates judges in the areas of integrity, legal ability, administrative performance, judicial temperament and communication skills.
In Arizona, trial court judges in Maricopa, Pima, Pinal and Coconino counties, along with Court of Appeals judges and Supreme Court justices are selected under a merit system in which a public committee screens judicial candidates and the governor
decides whom to appoint.
Trial court judges in the remaining counties are elected in partisan races every four years. Counties with populations of 250,000 or more use the merit system, along with any counties that opt in through an initiative process.
All appointed judges face retention elections after two years on the bench. After that, Court of Appeals judges and Supreme Court justices face retention elections every six years. Trial court judges face the voters every four years.
Supreme Court justices up for retention are on all Arizona voters' ballots, while Court of Appeals and Superior Court judges who appear on a voter's ballot will depend on the county in which the voter resides.
Voters in 2024 overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 137, which would have eliminated both term limits and automatic retention elections for judges.
Had it passed, a judge would’ve only faced a retention election under certain circumstances, such as if they had been convicted of a felony or a crime involving fraud or dishonesty.
Where to find information about Arizona judges and justices on the ballot
The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review evaluates appointed judges by surveying witnesses, jurors, court staff and others who have observed the judges' work.
The commission's reports are available on its website. Voters can learn when judges were appointed, read their judicial performance reports and, for some judges, review short biographies.
The commission's website also provides links to decisions authored by the Court of Appeals judges and Supreme Court justices up for retention.
Where do I find information about Arizona Supreme Court justices?
The 2026 judicial performance report, biography and previous judicial decisions of Vice Chief Justice John Lopez IV are available here.
Where do I find information about Arizona Court of Appeals judges?
There are 14 Arizona Court of Appeals judges up for retention.
Michael S. Catlett, Anni Hill Foster, Randall M. Howe, Andrew M. Jacobs, Daniel J. Kiley, James B. Morse Jr., Jennifer M. Perkins and David Weinzweig are up for retention for Division I, which serves Maricopa, Yuma, La Paz, Mohave, Yavapai, Navajo and Apache counties.
Their 2026 judicial performance reports, biographies and past decisions are available here.
Sean Brearcliffe, Karl C. Eppich, Lacey Stover Gard, Michael F. Kelly, Christopher J. O’Neil and Jeffry L. Sklar are up for retention for Division II, which serves Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Greenlee, Graham and Gila counties.
Their judicial performance reports, biographies and past decisions are available here.
Where do I find information about Arizona Superior Court judges?
Trial court judges in Coconino, Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties are up for retention. The commission's website provides links to the 2026 judicial performance reports and biographies of judges in their respective counties.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Which Arizona judges are up for election? See who's on your ballot
